In a rain-curtailed game in Bangalore, Royal Challengers Bangalore enhanced their chances of qualifying for the Indian Premier League 2013 play-offs by beating Chennai Super Kings by 24 runs.

They finished with 18 points, rising to fourth in the table, and put the ball in Sunrisers Hyderabad's court who have a game in hand and play Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

Chennai finished top of the table with 22 points and beat Mumbai Indians, also on 22 points due to a superior net run-rate.

After three hours of play was lost, the rain finally stopped and allowed a shortened match, of eight overs per side. Chennai won the toss and elected to field first, which is precisely what Bangalore might have hoped for.

Virat Kohli came out to bat with Chris Gayle throwing caution to the wind and the two played some attacking cricket as was obviously required.

They put on 67 runs for the first wicket in just 26 balls, with Gayle scoring 28 off 13 balls, inclusive of four massive sixes, but the star of the day was Kohli who rose to the occasion, hitting a chanceless fifty off only 28 balls. He finished unbeaten on 56 off 29 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes.

AB de Villiers (5) fell cheaply but Moises Henriques (12 not out off three balls, three fours) held off and provided a final flourish to help Bangalore finish at 106 for two in just eight overs.

Chennai then made a meal of ther run chase early in their innings. Mike Hussey (6) and Suresh Raina (0) went cheaply, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni sent Dwayne Bravo (11) ahead of himself.

At the other end, Murali Vijay tried to get some impetus, hitting 32 runs off 19 balls, with two fours and two sixes. But the target was too big and the run-rate required was always climbing in such a shortened game.

Dhoni finished the hitting with 24 runs off 10 balls, inclusive of two fours and two sixes, as Chennai ended their league stage on 82 for six.

Royal Challengers Bangalore and their fans now eagerly await the result in Hyderabad on Sunday, as the other three teams proceed to Delhi for the play-offs.